Threshold lock



May 22, 1951 w. YOUNG 2,553,732

THRESHOLD LOCK Filed April 25, 1947 JNVENTOR. W////s L. Young BY Patented May 22, 1951 UUNITED stares PATENT OFFICE THRESHOLD LOCK Willis L. Young, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 25, 1947, Serial No. 743,792

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to auxiliary locking devices, particularly for outside doors, in addition to the usual latch or look associated with the door knob, and in particular, includes a bar adapted to be positioned between the lower end of the door and threshold, which is provided with stops on the inner end positioned to contact the inner surfaces of the door, and threshold, and means on the outer end adapted to be secured in a base element by a padlock to contact the outer surfaces of the door and threshold.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a threshold lock for doors, wherein a door may be locked on the outside without having elements or devices attached to the door, door frame, threshold or floor.

The usual door is provided with a pin or tumbler lock, and whereas it is difficult to-pick or open locks of this type, they are subject to being opened with skeleton keys and different combinations of pins and devices; and, because tenants receive keys from landlords or their agents and because previous tenants have had keys which may or may not have been returned to the landlord, it is often possible that duplicate keys are in the hands of unauthorized persons; and, be-

.cause of numbers of other designations sometimes put on keys and locks, and various ways of making impressions of keys, and human factors involved in the making of keys and the changing of locks, it is often possible for burglars, holdup men, hoodlums, detectives, snoops and other unauthorized persons to obtain duplicate keys and enter doors without permission.

With this thought in mind, this invention contemplates an auxiliary lock adapted to be used in combination with the usual door lock, wherein it is also necessary to pick or force an additional and readily changeable lock in order to open a door. The invention is adapted for quick changing of padlocks and is particularly adapted for use of a keyless combination padlock, the combination of which may be easily changed by the user. It is further contemplated that use of an easily changed padlock, or particularly, a changeable combination padlock readily gives the user of a threshold lock additional and more secret means of looking a door.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide additional and readily changeable looking means for doors and the like in which the locking device is used in combination with a threshold; and, as attachments and other permanent installations are sometimes not desired or permitted on door frames or door, and in order to avoid obstructions of any kind on the floor, the locking elements are so arranged that the parts thereof are not attached to the door frames, door, threshold or floor.

'Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock using a padlock wherein the padlock may be changed in a few moments.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may use a keyless padlock, the combination of which may be changed in a few moments.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may only be used as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may readily be removed and used on another door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may be readily positioned in looking relation with a door threshold.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may be readily used on a door having no lock or a defective lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that is easy to construct and economical to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may be applied without tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may readily look a door against even authorized persons having keys.

Another object of the invention is to provide a threshold lock that may, if used with a readily changeable combination padlock, guarantee the greatest possible locking secrecy by eliminating all outside human factors.

With these and other objects in view, the invention embodies a substantially horizontally positioned bar with an adjusting thumb screw in the inner end, a door stop also having a thumb screw therein and also positioned on the inner end of the bar, a chain attached to the inner end providing supporting means therefor, a locking element adapted for positioning on the outside of the door with a plate hinged thereto having a spline positioned to extend through a slot in the outer end of the bar, an upwardly extending staple on the base of the locking element positioned to register with a slot in the hinged element thereof, and a padlock adapted to be locked in said staple.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a View showing the threshold lock 3 positioned in looking position in combination with a door and threshold with parts broken away and the threshold shown in section.

Figure 2 is a cross-section through the outer end of the threshold lock taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan on line 33 of Figure 1, showing the door in section and illustrating the threshold locking elements in the positionof locking the door closed.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, the threshold look of this invention includes the horizontal bar ii an outer locking element or base H positioned below and adjacent one end of the bar adapted to bear against a supporting surface adjacent the threshold 20, the bar 10 being secured to the base I l by means of a hinge plate l3, and a padlock l2.

The bar In is formedtof a flat strip having an upwardly extending stop id-with a thumb screw 11.5 threaded therein and a chain ii, having a ;springsty1e snap closure element {8 at-the outer end, is mounted in an openin H5 in e n iof'thezstop. The vinner end of the bar it! is also providedwith a vertically arranged thumb screw l9 by which the elevation of the inner end of the abarzmayi'be-ad'justed in relation to the threshold 20. :The-bar -|8 extends straight through under ;a 56.001 ;2l ,as shown in Figure l, and the outer at end is provided with a plurality of elongated slots ,22'1extending transversely across the outer porition thereof.

'fIihe outer end :ofthe bar Iii is positioned on xthe uppersurface 23-of the base II which is :pro-

vided with a slot 24,-and-the base is positioned wherein the slot 24 is registerable selectively with :one of the slots-22 so that a spline '25 on the under-surface pf the'plate i 3, whichis' hinged -to-the base element '11 by a hinge it, extends -,-.thr,ough-b.oth of the slots to securethe locking element .11 in1place. The base :l l ,is provided with :a staple '2'? that is positioned :to extend sthroughaislot 12-8 in theen'd of-the plate l-3,- and with the hail of a padlock -12 secured through the =-staple, I-the locking element i i will be posi- ;,tively;locked-in position on-the outer end of the bar ID, wherein the door will be locked,

HE'he threshold lock of this design may-there- ;ifore, :be installed 1 in the locking position on :a threshold; 2 0 by inserting the slot containing end .of1the bar luunderneath the door 21. ;In,the inserted position, the chain H is no longer utilized, as clearly shown by referring to Figure :3 ,of the drawing. ,The vertically arranged thumbscrew i9 is then rotated to elevate the .inner end of the'bar with respect to the threshold, the lower end of the thumbscrew E9 venga ging the adjacent portion of thesupporting surface for the threshold il and-the base "H. The stop '14 is then brought into engagement .with the inner face of the door 21 to thereby limitthe movementof the door inwardly. The .-slot:,c,ontaining end :of the bar 10 is supported 4 on the base H such that one of the slots in the bar It) is in registry with the slot 24 provided in the base H. The hinge plate l3 which carries a spline 25 is moved toward the base H until the spline 25 extends downwardly through the registering slots in the bar Ill and the base II. The plate [3 is then locked in its position of movement with the spline 25 extending through the slots by means of the padlock l2 and the staple 2?. Accordingly, the" triangular shaped element -28 is 'fixedly'held in a position such that it bears against the outer surface of the door 21 to thereby limit the movement of the door outwardly. Accordingly, the door 2| is held in a fixed position with respect to the :threshold 20 and the base II. The device, as illustrated may be used without attaching the parts to the door, threshold, or floor, and may be (withdrawn from its inserted position under.- neath the door and dependingly supported by the chain :IJ which is detachably "supported upon It -;will be molerstood that modifications may he made in the design and arrangement of the ,parts, if required, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. .-A door; locl .for a swingable door having a raised threshold, comprising ,a 1 bar having .oppo- ,site ,ends, said her being freely insertable between ;sa-id door and threshold to dispose said ends beyond opposite Sid$ of said door and threshold, upwardly-directed stop ineans lon each e d o i h Q e a ng ppmi ides .o aid oor downwardly d ected t m an Lo each end of said bar for engagingoppositesides o s i th eshold Qn s i :unwa dl directed asterea s ebeir s mov bl i d i om 3 5 1 :erativ po itionri th ath o a d oo a v inoperative position out of the path 10f said :door and me ns k n said last named JSF P i sa o e a ive pos t on.

A-doorilock for azswingablerdoor hay-ing a u jflis z hrfi hQ dnfiflmprisingea bar having OPP ;site ends, esa'id bar gbeing sfreely insertable abetweemsaid door and threshold :to disposesaid eends beyond opposite :sides :of said door ,and -;threshold, one end ,of :said: bar having iupward-ly and downwardly directed stops :engageable with glee ides o f; said door andthreshold, la=locking base ;includ ing upwardly and downwardly directed stops. engageable with -;the opposite sides ;of saiddoor and threshold, and means formeleasably 1ockin :.said:.base 'IJOthe other endof seid :bar.

7L. YOUNG.

. .BEE G S m n Ihe following referencesare of record in the 

